


One Moment In Time

by noveltea



Category: Stargate SG-1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-18
Updated: 2010-07-18
Packaged: 2017-10-10 15:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/101248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noveltea/pseuds/noveltea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam celebrates her birthday with her family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Moment In Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [angelsgracie](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=angelsgracie).



A normal day for Samantha Carter no longer consisted of off-world expeditions, or being shot at on a regular basis, or even having to save the world from aliens bent on destroying the world. All those things still existed, but they were the realm of those younger than herself. She still had ties to the Stargate Program, but only as an adviser, an expert in her field.

Some things never changed.

And some things did.

The house was quiet when she got home from Cheyenne Mountain. Twice a week she worked as a consultant on site, splitting the rest of the time giving guest lectures on astrophysics and quantum mechanics at universities around the world, and completing her second book on wormhole theory. Whatever free time she had left after that, she spent at home.

The only law that had been laid down after her marriage had been that she kept Sundays free of work obligations. Jonas had rationalised that if she was going to spend all week traveling around the country, she could spare one day with her family.

"Hello?"

Her voice echoed through the empty house, and she switched on the lights in the hallway to light her way. The rest of the house remained dark, and she couldn't hear any sounds coming from the bedrooms. It was already after eight at night, and she had no idea where everyone was.

She found the note on the kitchen table:

_We'll be home late. Dinner's in the fridge._

It was Jonas' handwriting, followed by a small stick-figure drawing of Jonas, Sam and a little boy - their son, Jacob. Sam smiled, tracing the drawing with her fingertips. Four years old, and as precocious a child as his mother had been.

She left her briefcase and laptop bag on the dining table and grabbed the plate of food that - as indicated - had been left in the fridge. She heated it up in the microwave, pouring herself a glass of juice, before settling onto the sofa in the living room. She turned the television on, but left the volume down, taking time to let the quiet sink in.

It was nearly fifteen minutes later when she heard the sound of the garage door opening and a car pulling in to the driveway, before the sound of keys in the door, and uncertain footsteps on the floorboards as Jacob rushed down the hallway to the lights in the living room.

"Mommy!"

Jacob had run, full-steam ahead, at her and thrown his arms around her knees, and she leaned forward to pick him up and settle him on her knee. She was rewarded with multiple kisses and the four-year old equivalent of a bear hug.

"Happy birthday, Mommy!"

She hugged him back, her beautiful, blue-eyed little boy. "Thank you." She kissed him on the cheek and he sat down in her lap, quieting down. She brushed his hair with her fingers and asked, "How was your day?"

"Good!"

"Good?" She looked down and grin. "What did you do?"

Jacob titled his head back, grinning with a smile so bright and infectious that she felt it spread across her own face. "Played in sand."

"You played in the sand? At Kindergarten?"

He nodded his head emphatically. "Trucks."

"With trucks?"

Another nod, followed promptly by a wide yawn.

Sam made to move, picking Jacob up as she went. "I think it's way past your bedtime, hm?" The predictable whine and protestations started up immediately, and he wriggled in her arms, but she held him tightly. "And where's dad, huh? Hiding, I'll bet, because he let you stay up late."

She made her way back to the kitchen, where she could heard Jonas moving around. When she entered he had his back to her, and he was still wearing the suit he'd worn to work that morning. Since leaving the Stargate Program Jonas had established himself in one of the local colleges, teaching history and ancient cultures. His laid-back and friendly nature had quickly gained the respect of the student body, and he had become one of the most well-liked professors, which hadn't surprised Sam. What had surprised her was the ease with which he'd settled into that life after leaving the SGC.

Leaning against the door frame, Jacob still squirming in her arms, she cleared her throat. "Long day?"

Jonas turned his head, a sheepish look on his face. "Sorry. I had all these elaborate celebrations planned, but I got held back after my last lecture and when I got home we didn't have any candles, so we had to go out after dinner. And Jake wanted to say goodnight to you."

He wore the same puppy-dog look that had slowly dug it's way in to fill the hole that had been in her heart all those years ago. The one that said, 'You can't stay made at me.'

And he was right.

He turned around, and Jacob giggled in her ear. In his hands he held a plate, which in turn held a jello cake. A _blue_ jello cake, complete with candles stuck on top, with sugar flowers for decoration.

Jonas smiled, and it was clear who Jacob had inherited his brilliant smiles from. "Happy Birthday, Sam."

He walked over and held the 'cake' up so that she could blow out the candles; she left one for Jacob to blow out.

The grin never left her face, but she raised an eyebrow. "A jello cake?"

"A _blue_ jello cake," Jonas corrected her, taking the plate back to the bench top. It wobbled as he walked and Jacob watched it, fascinated. Jonas wiped his hands on his trousers as he walked back over to place a kiss on her lips, purposely ignoring his son's laughter.

"Mommy's birthday!"

Jonas pried Jacob away from Sam and gathered him up. "Yeah, Mommy's birthday." He winked at Sam, and shifted his son. "Alright," he said brightly, "time for bed."

While Jonas handled bedtime, complete with a story, Sam dished out the jello into two bowls. Predictably the 'cake' crumbled once she started taking spoonfuls out, but she had to give her husband credit for creativity. She had a shameful addiction to blue jello, one she blamed entirely on the SGC's cafeteria food.

When he returned, she was already on her second bowl, sitting at the kitchen bench and watching as the cake further slid further down onto the plate.

"You know, that was the only way I could think of to use up the insane amount of blue jello you keep stocked in the cupboard," he commented, sitting on the stool next to her.

She'd been about to take another mouthful, but she held the spoon in midair. "Hey!"

Jonas held his hands up. The mischievous glint in his eyes told her he was teasing. His fingers wrapped themselves around her wrist and guided the spoon she held in her hand to his mouth, stealing her jello.

She swatted his arm, lightly, laughing. "Get your own, buddy." She pushed over the second bowl.

"Why thank you," he told her, making a show of picking up the spoon and taking a mouthful. "Mm." She swatted his arm again, and he ducked away. Swallowing, he poked at the jello while he spoke. "So, I called and booked a table for Sunday lunch at that Mexican place in town - you know, the new one you keep mentioning. And Lisa said she's happy to look after Jake for a couple of hours."

Sam leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you."

He smiled. "For what?"

"For being wonderful."

His smile widened. "You're easy to be wonderful for." He moved one hand to caress her cheek, holding her gaze. "I'm very lucky."

She laughed, and brought her own hand up to her face to cover his. "So am I."


End file.
